While it was jarring to see what unfolded at Court Philippe Chatrier on Monday, it is possible we may not have seen the last of Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros.
The 14-time champion exited in the opening round of the tournament for the first time in his storied career in Paris, falling 6-3 7-6 6-3 to No.4 seed Alexander Zverev.
It was just his fourth loss in 116 matches at the event, and the first time ever he was competing at Roland Garros as an unseeded player. An observer noted Nadal had never before faced an opponent ranked higher than world No.33 in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament.
Thursday’s draw ceremony blew that last stat out of the water when Zverev’s name landed next to his.
With myriad physical health problems restricting Nadal to just 20 matches since the 2022 US Open, he was finally turning a hopeful corner regarding his body and form. But Monday’s outing at Chatrier, against the world No.4 and reigning Rome champion, proved an assignment just a little too tough, a little too soon.
“I felt ready. I think tomorrow I will be ready to play again if I have to. But I will not have to,” smiled Nadal, who has hinted this may be his last season on tour.
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“(I come away with) not bad feelings. I showed that, myself, first of all, that I was ready for more than what I did at the end, that is, losing in the first round. But that's how it is, no? When you are not seeded, you play against a player who is in great shape and is one of the best players of the world.
“(It has) been a positive week for me of practice in all ways. In terms of physical performance, too. Without a doubt I felt much better than before. I didn't feel that limitations. Today in the match the same.
“I mean, I was not that far. That's my feeling.”
Watched from the stands by a bevy of tennis stars including defending champions Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek and world No.3 Carlos Alcaraz, Nadal pushed Zverev for more than three hours.
He led 5-3 in the second set, and created 11 break point chances throughout the match. He landed 70 per cent of first serves – hitting speeds of almost 200km/h – and finished with more winners than unforced errors, plus won an impressive 19 of 21 points at net.
Yet he was missing the sharpness that only comes with regular competitive match play.
Nadal at the peak of his powers at Roland Garros almost certainly would not have failed to convert nine of those 11 break points. He would not have been broken at love when serving for the second set, nor in the very first game of the match to set the tone.
Just a week out from his 38th birthday and making his 19th appearance at Roland Garros, Nadal accepted his fate.
“If it's the last time that I played here, I am in peace with myself,” he smiled.
“I tried everything to be ready for this tournament for almost 20 years. And today and the last two years I have been working and going through probably the toughest process in my tennis career with the dream to come back here, no?
“At least I did. I mean, I lost, but that's part of the business.”
It might not, however, be the last time we see the Spanish legend gracing these courts – or other famous arenas around the world.
On the eve of the event, Roland Garros tournament director Amelie Mauresmo revealed Nadal had asked her not to proceed with a planned on-court farewell ceremony.
In just two months, tennis returns to Roland Garros for the Paris 2024 Games, and he is targeting another Olympic campaign after winning singles gold in Beijing 2008 and doubles gold at Rio 2016.
He admitted Wimbledon was probably a step too far – quickly switching to grass then back to clay was, in his words, not “a positive idea right now” – but that he would be targeting events beyond that, including September's Laver Cup in Berlin.
“I need to clear my ideas now and see what's the new calendar for me to try to be ready for Olympics, no? So I need to prepare myself the proper way to try to arrive here healthy and well-prepared, and then let's see,” Nadal said.
“That's why I am not saying I am retiring today. It's about not having the feeling in one year or one year and a half that I didn't give myself a real chance, because immediately (if after) that I started to become a little bit more healthier, I stop.
“I am passionate about sport, I am passionate about competition. I like to practice, I like to play tennis. I'm in a different moment of my personal life too, traveling with my son, wife – I am enjoying these moments that will not come back.
“So if I keep enjoying doing what I am doing and I feel myself competitive and healthy enough to enjoy … I don't know for how long, but I want to keep going for a while.
“Give me two months until Olympics, and then let's see if I am able to keep going or I say, ‘OK, guys, it's more than enough’.”
Nadal’s on-court interview – rare for the loser of a match – and wave to the adoring Chatrier crowd were signs of a player bidding a final farewell to the tournament he has made his own.
But after his performance on Monday, and buoyant tone in press, we may not have seen the last of this tennis legend just yet.